The Bose Sport Open Earbuds are wireless headphones designed for exercise. Instead of the usual in-ear tips, this unusual set of buds features a flat enclosure that is suspended by a plastic loop and positioned over the ear canal.

The purpose of this design is to fit more securely than traditional wireless earbuds like AirPods Pro or Bose Sport Earbuds, allowing you to hear more of your surroundings without sacrificing sound quality.

The fully open shape of the Bose Sport Open Earbuds may not be appealing to those who want a sealed fit for noise cancellation, but it is not without merit. With fitness-specific features such as sweat protection and Bose's focus on sound quality, the Sport Open Earbuds are respectable, if not the best wireless earbuds you can buy.

Check out our full Bose Sport Open Earbuds review for the full verdict or read on for more key details.

Bose initially announced that the Sport Open Earbuds would be available "mid-January". They were eventually released on January 20, but some orders did not ship until February 1.

The Bose Sport Open Earbuds are priced at $199. That's at least cheaper than the AirPods Pro and the same price as the feature-packed Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, albeit by a dollar.

The Sport Open Earbuds can be purchased from Best Buy or directly from Bose.

The Bose Sport Open Earbuds are true wireless earbuds, so they connect via Bluetooth 5.1 and can be paired with Android and iOS devices. Each bud weighs only 0.5 ounces, and battery life is claimed to be 8 hours on a single charge. In our tests, they lasted about 7.5 hours on a single charge.

Of particular interest to fitness enthusiasts will be the IPX4 waterproof rating. This means that while the Sport Open Earbuds cannot be completely submerged in water, the two buds are sweat-resistant and can withstand splashes of rain.

The most eye-catching aspect of the Sport Open Earbuds is their flat enclosure, which fires sound at the ear without sealing it in. To maintain sound quality and prevent sound leakage, Bose uses dipole transducers (essentially speakers that fire sound in a single direction) in each bud.

At least, in theory, it works that way. In practice, there is some sound leakage, so care should be taken when playing loud music when outside.

The idea is to allow ambient sound to be incorporated into your idea without having to use the transparency mode. However, because of their open design, they naturally do not offer the same kind of active noise cancellation, but the Sport Open Earbuds also have an external microphone, which improves intelligibility when you are talking to someone. This system is very similar to the transparency and ambient modes offered by ANC headphones, and while it is susceptible to wind noise, the indoor call quality is good.

One thing the Sport Open Earbuds do not allow for is charging on the go. The carrying case comes in a box, but it is not an AirPods-style charging case. Instead, a wired charging base is included, on which the Sport Open Earbuds can be placed until fully charged.